Shallow Ground

SHALLOW GROUND

A film from 2004 that layers one question atop another over and over until the viewer wonders how all the threads can ultimately tie together into a cohesive plot, Shallow Ground tells the tale of a police officer named Jack in an isolated rural community whose day gets seriously weird after an uncommunicative naked boy coated in blood wanders out of the woods.  With the help of two other cops (Stuart and Laura), Jack attempts to figure out who the boy is.  That something supernatural is happening becomes apparent when writing in blood appears on a door while the mysterious teen is handcuffed on the other side of the room.  As day becomes night, the viewer gradually learns the nature of the boy and how he relates to past disappearances and murders in the area.  I can’t say more about the plot without spoiling the many narrative mysteries for anyone out there who wants to seek out this project on DVD.

Written and directed by Sheldon Wilson, Shallow Ground has a unique story but not an especially well-told one.  Once I learned who the boy was and what he wanted, I wondered why he didn’t just go directly to the individuals he really had business with.  Some characters who touch the blood have flashbacks and visions that seem confusing for a very long time (though ultimately every image is explained).  The main character ends up at the home of a townie who is central to the plot almost by chance (he needs to borrow a car) rather than through detective work that reveals this person’s connection to everything that’s been going on.  Reputedly shot on a budget of about $72,000, Shallow Ground deserves accolades for its singular plot.  I just wish the story unfolded in a more satisfying way.